Aeronautic apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. METQALF, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

maonau rrc arrazaa'rus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed October 16, 1906. Burial No. 888,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonoa A. METOALF, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Aeronautic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to apparatus for acrial navigation and more particularly to that type in which rotatable ropellers are employed, itbeing principa y directed to the view, showing an auxiliary steering propeller.

The numeral 10 designates a main frame constructed of such material as to give the proper lightness and strength,-and carrying a suitable motor 11, at one side of which is a seat 12 for the operator. The frame includes motor-supporting members 13, from which rises a standard 14, this being preferably tubular. The driving-shaft 15 of the motor is shown as connected b bevelearing 16 with a main transmittm -sha t 17 rotatable within the standard. his transmitting-shaft extends above the standard, where it communicates its rotation through bevel-gearing 1.8 to a counter-shaft 19 journaled near its center in opposite arms 20, 20, projecting from the upper extremity of the standard. Beyond these arms it has a bearing in sleeves or carriers 21, 22, which are.

mounted to rotate upon cvlindrical external portions of the arms. The sleeves may be moved about the arms by a lever 23 depending from the sleeve 21 and a lever 24 fixed to an extension 25 from the sleeve 22, this arrangement bringing the levers into close proximity to one another and to the operator's seat where they may be conveniently gras ed or engaged by securing means.

The lower portion of the frame may be stayed by rods or tension members 25 extending therefrom to rings 25" surrounding the sleeves and permitting the latter to turn freely in them. At the outer end of each sleeve is secured or formed integrally a yoke 26 in which is journaled a driven or propelling-shaft 27, preferably connected by bevelgearing 28 to the adjacent end of the counter-shaft. These propelling-shafts extend through .the yokes at 29 to receive propellers 30, w ch each comprise a central hub 31 fixed' to its shaft and having secured to and radiating from it inclined blades 32 of the ordinary fan type. The propellers may be guardedby protectors or bulfers 34, consistin of rods secured to the sleeves and their yo es to move therewith.

The ropellers being in the horizontal position illustrated in Fig; 1, their rotation b the motor will, by t e pressure of their blades against the air, cause the apparatus to rise vertically. The independent mounting of the propellers upon the separately movable sleeves enables themto be adjusted as to the angular position of their axes with-- out regard to one another, that is, they may have imparted to them abodily movement of revolution. If both ropellers are simultaneously inclined at tlib same angle, as is shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the pressure of the blades against the atmosphere will comprise two components, .one of which will tend to raise the apparatus against the force of gravity, while the other moves it forwardly. By varying this inclination any angle of ascent may be secured, and when it is such that the vertical component just equals gravity a horizontal travel will be attained.

f instead, the propellers are inclined to the opposite side, as appears in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the apparatus will be moved rearwardly in a similar manner. By oppositely ositioning the propellers, as 1s shown in *ig. 3, the apparatus will be caused to describe a curved path, the radius of which will vary in accordance with the differences of angularity. Thus, a quick turn may be secured or movement ina curved path of great radius.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated one of a series of vanes 35 which are below and adjacent to the propellers, they depending from the sleeves, extending in a general direction of the axes of the propellers and be' mounted to turn independently thereon. evers 36 connected to these vanes and extending within reach of the operator, permit their angular position to be varied. When they lie at right angles to the plane of the propellers the air currents produced thereby will be equally divided, but when they are moved lateral y the currents will be deflected in one direction or the other, causing anop: posite movementof the apparatus and thus serving to modify the action of the propellers. V

Fig. 5 discloses an auxiliary propeller 39 fixed upon a shaft 40 which is journaled in a yoke 41 mounted to turn upon the associated propeller shaft. The auxiliary propeller shaft is thus held substantially at right angles to the main propeller shafts and may be rotated by a bevel-gear 42 meshing with the main propeller gear. A handle or tiller 43 extends from the yoke to a point adjacent to the operators seat to allow it to be grasped.

This auxiliary propeller produces a movement independent of that effected by the main propellers in the direction of the counter-shaft or longitudinally of the apparatus.

The swinging of the auxiliary propeller yoke modifies this travel, enabling the apparatus to be steered without reference to the steering influence of the main propellers. The propeller 39, as is the case with the vanes, may be employed independently of or to modify this main steering action.

It will be observed that the protectors or buffers 34 and the propellers which they protect, are located above the carrying portion of the apparatus, the propellers eing, therefore, in advance of the said carrying portion when the apparatus is in motion. The buffers 34 reduce to the minimum the liability of contact between the revolving propeller blades and any objects that may be encountered by the apparatus in its flight, the buffers sustaining the impact resulting from such contact, and causing the apparatus to rebound without liability of stopping the rotation of the propellers.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and described a way of constructing and using the same. though without attempting td set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes of its use, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. An aeronautic-alpgaratus comprising a frame, a shaft journa e thereon, a lurality of carriers which may be turned a out the shaft, a propelling shaft 'ournaled in each carrier and being operable y the first named shaft, propellers fixed to the propellin shafts and vanes movably mounted upon t e carriers and being adjacent to the propellers.

2. An aeronautic ap aratus comprising a frame including a stan ard, a motor supported upon the frame, a main shaft rotatable in the standard, a carrier mounted to rotate about a portion of the standard, a counter-' shaft extending throu h the carrier, a proelling shaft journale in the carrier and eing (gerable by the countershaft, and a propeller ed to the propelling shaft.

3. An aeronaut1c ap aratus comprising a frame including a stan ard, a motor supported upon the frame, a main shaft rotatable in the standard, a carrier mounted to rotate about a portion of the standard; a lever fixed to the carrier for operatin the same, a countershaft extending throng the carrier, a ropelling shaft 'ournaled in thecarrier an bemg operable y the countershaft, and a propeller fixed to the propelling shaft.

4. An aeronautic apparatus comprisin a frame including a standard having a plurality of arms, a motor su ported upon the frame, a main shaft rotatab e in the standard, carriers mounted to turn upon the standard arms, a counter shaft journaled in the carriers, a propelling shaft ournaled in each carrier and eing operable by the counter-shaft, and a propeller fixed to each propelling shaft.

5. An aeronautic ap aratus comprising a rotatable propeller and a vane extending in the directlon of the axis of rotation of the propeller and being mounted to move laterally with respect to said axis and to positions approaching or receding from parallelism with the plane of the propeller.

6. An aeronautic apparatus comprising, a rotatable pro eller, a vane exten in the direction of t e axis of rotation oft e propeller and being mounted-to move laterally with respect to said axis, and means for varying the angular position of the propeller axis.

7. An aeronautic apparatus comprising a frame'including a standard having a plurality of arms, a motor su ported upon the frame, a main shaft rotatab e in the standard, carriers mounted to turn upon the standard arms, a counter-shaft journaled in the carriers. a ropelling shaft journaled in each carrier an bem operable by the counter-shaft and a prope ler fixed to each propelling shaft, each propeller having a non-rotatable protector.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. METCALF.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, H. L. Ronnms. 

